'Brooklyn Street Style' celebrates borough's fashion trendsetters

New York Fashion Week will be in full swing in Manhattan this week, but for some, Brooklyn is the epicenter of the latest in forward fashion.

In "Brooklyn Street Style: The No-Rules Guide to Fashion" ($24.95; Abrams Image), a new book by culture journalist and Carroll Gardens local Anya Sacharow and book designer and editor Shawn Dahl, trend-setters and style gurus share tips on how to achieve the borough's unique looks, accompanied by sumptuous color photography by Sioux Nesi.

"Brooklyn was not always considered a chic or trendy place -- at all," Sacharow said. "It's interesting to look at how style and Brooklyn are intertwined and how that then rippled out to the rest of the world."

Interviews with a broad range of Brooklynites, such as CNN commentator and style expert Michaela Angela Davis and "Girls" costume designer Jenn Rogien, demonstrate the fluidity of what constitutes Brooklyn style and its focus on individuality, whether it's a statement-making hat, mixed-matched prints or stylish yet comfortable footwear.

"The book is meant to take you on a sort of journey through other women's style stories and their choices," Sacharow said. "These women are brilliant, creative, self-empowered and so stylish, but in a very authentic way. Through their stories, readers might identify with certain ideas or find a new approach on their own style journey."

Along with practical pointers on things such as "How to build a workable wardrobe," the book includes a thorough shopping guide to boutiques and stores across a handful of neighborhoods. It comes out Tuesday, just in time for those looking to channel some Brooklyn style for New York Fashion Week, kicking off this Thursday.

So what's the best way to channel some Brooklyn street style as you flit from runway show to runway show?

"Brooklyn style philosophy has an irreverence to it, so with regard to Fashion Week, that means not taking it too seriously and making up your own mind about what out there is actually stylish or even necessary," Sacharow advised.